NBA Imagines🏀

One More Chance; D'Angelo Russell

For Kayla❤️

Kayla
~2015~

I stood in our living room pacing back and forth waiting for my boyfriend, D'Angelo, to get home.
I was a bit sick today so I stayed home and watched the Lakers game on the TV. They had lost and D'Angelo had a chance to win the game but missed a wide open, buzzer beating layup. The game had ended four hours ago and I was still waiting for him to come home.
He'd been staying out late all the time, we'd been arguing a lot, and I felt like he had practically given up on the relationship.
A 2 year relationship that we had worked for.

After pacing for 10 minutes, the front door swung open and he entered, a solemn look on his face.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, anger painted on my face and my arms crossed.

"I've been out. Where else?" He scoffed, taking off his jacket.

I could see the dark hickies across his smooth skin and the lipstick on his collar.
"I'm so sick of this."

He rolled his eyes and looked at me.
"Sick of what?"

"This. You being out 24/7. You with different girls in your phone. You not trying at all with this relationship!"

"Have you not thought that there's a reason behind me giving up!?"

"What?" I asked with glossy eyes.

He walked up to me.
"I don't want this." He said, motioning me and him. "Anymore. I just don't care about this relationship. I'm just done."

"So your just going to let go of two years?" I asked, trying to force myself not to cry.

"I just..I can't keep doing this Kayla. I love you but I can't do this anymore. I'm leaving."

I woke up, breathing heavily, as flashbacks from three years ago came flooding back.
I hit my alarm clock as I stood up. I hadn't thought about my ex in a year, and I had finally moved on from what he put me through, but that dream was so vivid. I moved across the country to get away from my memories of him. I'd moved from L.A. to Brooklyn to start fresh, a new me. I quickly got ready for the day and walked out into my kitchen to make coffee.
Before I could make it, a knock on my door interrupted me. I opened it to see my friend, Jaylen walking in.
"Hey baby Kay."

I chuckled.
"Hey."

He followed me into the kitchen and smiled.
"Two tickets. Court side. Nets game. What do you say?"

I paused and looked up.
"The Nets?"

D'Angelo's new team this year was The Brooklyn Nets. I couldn't escape this man. I knew I would see him if I went to the game and I wasn't sure if I was ready for that.

"Yeah. You're not still-"

"No. No."

"Because if D'Angelo being on that team affects you then-"

"No! No. That's was three years ago.

"Then what's with the hesitation?"

"I don't know." I sighed with a smile, pouring my cup of coffee.

"Come on! You would die for these tickets. I can't go by myself. You have to come."

I rolled my eyes.
"Fine. Who do they play?"

"The Lakers."

"Fine. I'm excited. What time?"

"In about two hours."

"Two hours!? It'll take me an hour to get ready!"

"Better cut it to thirty minutes girl."

~Two hours later~

We made it to the game, and even got there to see the players warming up.
As we sat, I made eye contact with someone that I dreaded seeing.
D'Angelo.
He squinted kind of then his eyes widened as he noticed who I actually was. He seemed like he started to walk over to me, but then his coach stopped him. I let out a deep breath and sighed. Saved by the coach. The game had started and it was actually a really good game. It was an overtime thriller, D'Angelo had hit a game tying, buzzer beating three. That left the crowd roaring. The game was close in overtime and with 1 second left, rookie Lonzo Ball, hit a game winning jumper. Me and Jaylen stood up and cheered as the crowd went silent. We were the only two laker fans sitting court side. I saw D'Angelo disappointed as he walked to the team bench, making direct eye contact with me.
I felt myself tense up and sigh.
"I'm going to go to the restroom."

Jaylen nodded, continuing to cheer. I quickly walked out to the restroom, dodging people on the way there. As I continued, I bumped into someone and fell back.
"Oh shit. I'm so sorry."

"Kayla?" The person asked as the helped me up.

I moved my hair out of my face and raised an eyebrow before noticing who was in front of me. The man that had broken my heart three years ago.

I backed away.
"I have to go."

"No! Kayla." He said, chasing after me.

I kept walking until I was pulled into an empty hallway.
"What the hell!?"

"You can't just run away from me."

"Yes I can! I don't want to see you or hear you. Our communication ended three years ago and I want to keep it that way!" I seethed, trying to move but he put his arm up and blocked me.

"I'm sorry Kayla!"

I rolled my eyes.
"I don't care D'Angelo!"

"No. Listen to me Kayla. I'm sorry! Can you At least hear me out?"

I crossed my arms.
"You have two minutes."

"I was a completely different person back then Kayla. I was..I was still figuring out where I was in the NBA, I was exiled from my own team, I was dealing with the Nick Young scandal, I started drinking. Things were messy as hell for me that year. I...I couldn't handle the relationship at the time. I knew I wasn't there 100%. I knew I was hurting you and I couldn't stand that. I had to walk away to keep from hurting both of us."

"You still hurt me! The cheating, the lying, everything. You fucking scarred me D!"

"I know that!" He said, his voice slightly cracking. "I...I had to get my shit together. I know I hurt you babygirl."

I bit my lip and looked up at him.
I gasped as I saw tears well up in his eyes.

"I never wanted to hurt you. I loved you and I still love you. I'm still..in love with you. I..I want to make up for it and what I did to you. I just want one chance. One more." He said, tears starting to fall as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

I sighed and wiped his tears away.
"One. One chance."

He smiled and kissed my hand.
"That's all I need baby."